Wareham for Law and Democracy receives Peacebuilder award

The grassroots activist organization Wareham for Law and Democracy was honored with the Peacebuilder Award for "local democracy in action" at the Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund annual dinner on Sunday, Nov. 1. 

Maryanne Kirkbride and Candy Johanson, two of the organization's seven founding members, accepted the award during the awards dinner at the Dante Alighieri Center in Cambridge on Sunday.

"Wareham for Law and Democracy is incredibly honored to receive this award and humbled to be included with the other award recipients," the organization said in a statement. 

The organization has grown over the last year and a half from its founding group of seven to over 800 participants on national days of action, advocating for freedom of speech and assembly, the rule of law and fair treatment of immigrants. 

"We are grateful to be receiving this honor from a group that has fought for peace and justice for so many years," the organization shared. "It is so incredibly meaningful."  

Other recipients included the Physicians for Social Responsibility for their Back from the Brink Campaign; Juan Soler Ramos of the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network Massachusetts for immigrant justice work and resistance to ICE; the Palestine Youth Movement Boston for work in solidarity with Palestine; and Ben Grosscup, singer and activist songwriter.